Horse Racing News

Joel Rosario was the riding star of the day on Saturday at Del Mar, winning five races, and he saved his best work for late in the card in the Grade 1, $300,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes, when he sent El Brujo to a front-running victory with an aggressive ride.

Alone on the lead, Enriched proved to be unbeatable in Saturday's $190,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap, recording the first stakes win of his 21-race career.

Richard's Kid successfully defended his title in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday, closing from the back of the field to get his first Grade 1 victory of the year.

Seth Benzel's breakout meet hit a crescendo Saturday at Saratoga when Dynaslew overtook the pacesetting Silver Reunion outside the eighth pole, then outfinished that rival to the wire to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa Stakes by one-half length.

The ability to relax early enabled Get Stormy to kick home strong late as he scored a rather easy 2 3/4-length victory in Friday's Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga.

After a maiden win in April, and a second in the Grade 3 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park in July, Champ Pegasus will start in Sunday's $200,000 Del Mar Handicap with a realistic chance of winning his first stakes

For Saturday's $250,000 Del Mar Mile, Scenic Blast will start again on turf and over a distance that equals the longest race of his 23-race career.

When you have a horse who has won six consecutive races in distances from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles, one would figure to be quite confident entering the next race.

The question is whether Discreetly Mine can duplicate that performance when he returns less than four weeks later and stretches out an additional sixteenth to seven furlongs against a stellar field in Saturday's Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga.

Purses will be higher than initially expected for the post Labor Day portion of the Monmouth Park meet. The 22 days from Sept. 11 to Nov. 21 will average $375,000 a day, well above the projected $275,000.